


Pride

by DrinkTeaEveryDay



Category: Dragon Age, Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Lost Love, No Plot/Plotless, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-16
Updated: 2015-08-16
Packaged: 2019-07-11 04:23:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15964631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DrinkTeaEveryDay/pseuds/DrinkTeaEveryDay
Summary: A snapshot into the life of a Lavellan who is having a hard time letting go of her pride, and the man who loves her enough to be willing to wait.





	Pride

“It’s magnificent, isn’t it?” Solas was staring at her, excited light in his eyes, as they faced the all-encompassing landscape in front of them. It was, truly, magnificent. She had never willingly spent much time in the Fade, outside of her visits in her dreams and the essential visitations when she was first learning her craft. Her early trips to the Fade had more hiccups than is usually expected of apprentice mages of her skill, and thus the Fade became a source of shame and fear to her. That had all changed in her time with Solas.

  
His passion for the Fade and the secrets it held were clear to all, but none knew the details of his travels there. None but her, of course. She had been allowed to follow into his secret world, and it was a privilege that she held dear to her heart. They shared a bond like no other, and when they were around each other it was like returning home after a long battle.

  
She turned to face him, staring back into his eyes. He had seemed so cold when they first met. How was she to know how warm, how safe, how loved he would make her feel. How much she would want to stay by his side...  
“Solas…”  
“What is it, vhenan?”  
“I-”

With a sharp intake of breath, the elven woman shot up from her spot on the large bed. Her breaths were heavy, body still in a state of semi-shock from the realism of the dream. Damn it all. She layed back down, being careful not to make too much noise for fear of interrupting the sleeping man beside her.

  
Again her Fade dreams had betrayed her, it seemed. Her old passions were poking through the facade she had so carefully constructed- even in a place like the Fade, where such an encounter was possible, she knew that it had to be of her own imagination. Solas had abandoned her.

  
Tears stung at her eyes. He eyes welled up, but she felt silly. She was the Inquisitor. She wasn’t some love-lorn len crying on the shoulder of her Mamae. She blinked a couple times, willing the tears away like she knew she should. But another wave of grief gripped her and a single sob escaped her throat- enough to make Cullen’s eyes open and wake him, if only a little.

  
“Hey love.” His voice was groggy with sleep, eyes still blinking for clarity. She smiled weakly in response, hoping any redness or swelling from crying wasn’t apparent from the single shaft of moonlight flooding the room. That was probably a silly hope. Cullen propped himself up on one arm, using two fingers to gently lift her chin.  
“What’s the matter?”

  
The concern was evident on his face. Eyebrows knitted up, mouth pursed in a slight frown. His expression betrayed a subtle pain at his realization of her sorrow. She felt her heart clench. She loved him so much. He had such strength, such a commanding presence in the face of the rest of the Inquisition and Council, and yet the trust, the partnership they shared was unmatched. The intimacy. She couldn’t handle looking at his face.  
She sat up, moving her legs towards the side of the bed and then dangling them off. She looked down at her hands as she cast a small lightning spell and passed the fork from finger to finger absentmindedly.

  
“You certainly enjoy doing that.”

  
She kept her gaze on the small movements. “Do I?”

  
His voice was more solid- he was fully awake by now.

  
“You do it all the time. Little bolts of lightning, back and forth. I like to watch you do it, it’s mesmerizing, beautiful.”  
She felt a flush of red blossom across her face. She stopped the movements, casting away the lightning. Her head bowed lower, staring instead at her feet. Again, fiddling movements occupied her in her embarrassment.

  
The bed moved as Cullen sat up as well, leaning closer to her but making a conscious effort not to touch her until he’d accurately gauged her state of mind.  
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know what to do- I was just thinking about something and all of a sudden I…” another small hiccup, and a slight sniffle, and she knew she’d blown whatever cover she might have had. Her being upset was something that always made Cullen hesitate. She always seemed so sure of herself, so put together. When she did have moments of weakness, she preferred to deal with them alone. While he wanted to respect her independence, the urge to comfort and protect was a hard habit to shake. Even more so for somebody he loved.

  
“You don’t have to face everything alone. I mean… I know you can, but if your pride would allow, I’d like for us to see these difficult moments through… together.” His voice was timid but hopeful, quiet but urging. Not wanting to sound overzealous while also wanting to accurately express how much he wanted to help.  
“My pride?”

  
A low, wry laugh escaped her lips. “Yes. Perhaps I should stop letting my Pride get the best of me.”  
She stood, draping a blanket around her shoulders and cloaking herself from the frigid air outside. With slow, certain steps, she walked to the balcony of her quarters overlooking the now-quiet picture of her Skyhold, and the Frostbacks beyond. It was a magnificent sight to behold, and yet it was also her home- friendly and comfortable. The home she made for herself.

  
She felt a presence at her back, and the warmth enveloping her doubled as Cullen wrapped his arms fully around her.  
“Are you happy?” His warm voice, sultry and low, rumbled in her ear. She laughed a little, earnestly now. She did stop to think about it though.  
Was this what made her happy? There were other things. There would always be other things. But for now, for this moment, it was Cullen’s arms around her. And she was very, very happy.

  
“What do you think?” She gently pushed his arms down, and turned to face him. Shedding the blanket covering her, she reached her own arms up and around his neck, embracing him. Pressing her face into his chest for a couple seconds, she waited for a response. He didn’t seem to know what to say. So she answered his question.  
She leaned back slightly to look into his face, and very slowly, and very deliberately, she closed her eyes and placed a tender kiss on his lips.

  
“I love you.”


End file.
